Apple Sets March 7 Event for iPad 3 Launch

The launch of the iPad 3 is indeed happening in March. March 7 to be exact based on the invites sent by Apple to US publications and the venue is the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. I previously wrote about a March launch (then a rumor) in a post which you can find here. The invite (above) shows an image of an iPad screen and a woman’s hand. Below the invite is the text “We have something you really have to see. And Touch”. It does not say iPad 3 launch but I’m pretty sure a new tablet is going to be introduced come March 7. It could be called iPad HD or something else but it’s most certainly the next iteration of Apple’s iPad tablet.

We will know the specs and appearance of the iPad 3 at launch but rumors are strong that it will feature a retina display (or something super hi-res), a faster processor (it’s yet sure if it’s going to be dual-core or quad core), 4G LTE connectivity (at least for the US version where LTE is already well in place) and a slightly thicker case. If we are to believe Bloomberg which was the first to mention a March launch date, the iPad 3 will have quad-core CPU. I tend to doubt this though since a quad-core CPU with LTE connectivity will be a power hungry device and I don’t think Apple will want it that way, unless it uses a high-capacity battery. So my guess is an upgraded dual-core chip, but a quad-core variant is of course much welcome.

If you have an iPad 2, I think you need to sell it now if you plan to upgrade to an iPad 3. The resale value of the iPad 2 could plummet after the March 7 launch of the iPad 3. If you’re about to buy a tablet, you better wait for Apple’s announcement before you make that purchase.